Category Archives: human rights

Legal records and the ‘right to be forgotten’: Google Spain blog series and event

Posted on May 12, 2014 by jtownend

Professor Lorna Woods, University of Essex, has put together a fantastic panel of lawyers to digest and discuss the long-awaited ECJ judgment in the Google Spain case, which considers whether Google is required to remove links to a 15 year … Continue reading →

Posted in courts, data, digital open justice, events, freedom of expression, human rights | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The impact of libel and privacy on UK-based online journalists, bloggers and hyperlocals – some survey data

Posted on April 4, 2014 by jtownend

Last November I had the opportunity to attend an event organised by the Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society in Berlin, which is facilitating some fascinating research on global internet policy issues across different areas of law, governance and business. … Continue reading →

Posted in academic research, blogging, education, freedom of expression, human rights, journalism | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Monitoring the effect of changes to defamation statute and procedure

Posted on January 3, 2014 by jtownend

The Defamation Act 2013 is now in force. In a press release the government claims it “reverses the chilling effect on freedom of expression current libel law has allowed, and the prevention of legitimate debate we have seen in the … Continue reading →

Posted in academic research, blogging, defamation, digital open justice, freedom of expression, human rights, media law, media law resources | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Media and communications at SLS 2013

Posted on July 26, 2013 by jtownend

A quick post to flag up the media and communication sessions at the Society of Legal Scholars Annual conference in Edinburgh, 3-6 September (early bird booking until 31 July), put together by section convenor Daithí Mac Síthigh (@macsitigh).  The Cyberlaw … Continue reading →

Posted in academic research, defamation, events, freedom of expression, human rights, leveson inquiry, media ethics, media law, media regulation, privacy | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Promotion: IBC Legal’s Protecting the Media 2013

Posted on June 20, 2013 by jtownend

Promotion Upcoming conference, 17th September 2013, Millennium Knightsbridge Hotel, London, UK The ultimate review of key developments in the field of media law, featuring analysis of the impact of recent cases, such as: Leveson, Axel Springer/ Von Hannover (No.2) and Spelman v Express Newspapers. … Continue reading →

Posted in contempt of court, data protection, defamation, events, freedom of expression, human rights, journalism, leveson inquiry, media ethics, media law, phone hacking, privacy, promotion | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Open courts data, open justice… and the right to be forgotten?

Posted on June 5, 2013 by jtownend

I dipped my toe in the curious world of data protection enforcement yesterday [4 June], at the first joint seminar of the DP Forum and NADPO (The National Association of Data Protection Officers). The theme was ‘The challenges of complying … Continue reading →

Posted in access to justice, blogging, courts, data, digital open justice, freedom of expression, freedom of information, human rights, privacy | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Law and Media Round Up – 6 May 2013

Posted on May 7, 2013 by jtownend

On 3 May 2013, journalists, lawyers, academics and campaigners marked World Press Freedom Day. Article 19 launched ‘The Right to Blog’ – a new policy paper “that calls for lawmakers to better promote and protect the rights of bloggers domestically … Continue reading →

Posted in defamation, freedom of expression, human rights, media law, media law mop-up, media law resources | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Open letter: Justice and Security Bill is ‘a charter for cover ups’

Posted on March 4, 2013 by jtownend

My name is among the signatories of this open letter written in protest at the measures proposed in the Justice and Security Bill, which has reached its report stage and third reading in the House of Commons.  For more background … Continue reading →

Posted in academic research, access to justice, courts, digital open justice, freedom of expression, human rights, press freedom | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

New paper: Leveson online – A publicly reported inquiry

Posted on February 27, 2013 by jtownend

My paper on public access to the Leveson Inquiry has been published in the new issue of Ethical Space, The International Journal of Communication Ethics. Abstract: The Leveson Inquiry has broken new ground for court and political reporting: for the first … Continue reading →

Posted in academic research, access to justice, blogging, courts, data, digital open justice, freedom of expression, human rights, journalism, leveson inquiry, media ethics, press freedom | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Beyond Leveson: Legal protection for online and ‘citizen’ media

Posted on November 7, 2012 by jtownend

I’ve previously written about Leveson’s online elephant (as had Index on Censorship’s Marta Cooper before me). As the debate intensifies over the shape of ‘press’ regulation (the key question is whether or not a new regulator should be underpinned by … Continue reading →

Posted in blogging, defamation, freedom of expression, human rights, media law, media law resources, media regulation, press freedom, social media | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment